WEST FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas – The U.S. Army Operational Test Command will hold its command sergeant major change of responsibility ceremony at its headquarters here Friday at 9 a.m.
Command Sgt. Maj. Joe E. Johnson Jr. arrives after serving as senior enlisted advisor of the 3rd Chemical Brigade at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and will take over duties as standard bearer of OTC from Command Sgt. Maj. Martin M. Conroy.
Johnson’s most recent assignment included setting up his brigade’s first Expert Soldier Badge and Expert Infantry Badge testing site and helping transform more than 24,000 men and women into Soldiers.
Conroy has been with OTC since Oct. 9, 2020, and will move into retirement with a ceremony to take place at OTC May 25.
Col. George C Hackler, OTC commander, will preside over the ceremony.
OTC is subordinate to the Army Test and Evaluation Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and is the Army’s only independent operational tester. Testing and assessing Army, Joint, and Multi-service warfighting systems in realistic operational environments, OTC uses typical Soldiers to determine whether the systems are effective, suitable, and survivable. OTC is required by public law to test major systems before they are fielded to its ultimate customer — the American Soldier.
Media representatives interested in covering the event should contact Michael Novogradac, OTC’s public affairs officer, at 254-449-3686, or email, michael.m.novogradac.civ@army.mil no later than 3 p.m. Thursday.
Media should arrive at the West Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) gate at Clarke Road and Highway 190 Friday at 8:15 a.m., to be escorted to the event.
In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will move indoors.
